The Book Tour Stops Here: A Review of The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson, Served with a Recipe for Carrot-Pineapple Cupcakes

I am excited to be today's stop on the TLC Book Tour for the buzz-worthy new novel The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson. Accompanying my review is a recipe for Carrot Pineapple Cupcakes with Apricot Cream Frosting that fits the essence of the book. 

Publisher's Blurb:

From the award-winning author of Yellow Wife, a daring and redemptive novel set in 1950s Philadelphia and Washington, DC, that explores what it means to be a woman and a mother, and how much one is willing to sacrifice to achieve her greatest goal.

1950s Philadelphia: fifteen-year-old Ruby Pearsall is on track to becoming the first in her family to attend college, in spite of having a mother more interested in keeping a man than raising a daughter. But a taboo love affair threatens to pull her back down into the poverty and desperation that has been passed on to her like a birthright.

Eleanor Quarles arrives in Washington, DC, with ambition and secrets. When she meets the handsome William Pride at Howard University, they fall madly in love. But William hails from one of DC’s elite wealthy Black families, and his par­ents don’t let just anyone into their fold. Eleanor hopes that a baby will make her finally feel at home in William’s family and grant her the life she’s been searching for. But having a baby—and fitting in—is easier said than done.

With their stories colliding in the most unexpected of ways, Ruby and Eleanor will both make decisions that shape the trajectory of their lives.

                                                    Publisher: Simon & Schuster (February 7, 2023) 
                                                                            Hardcover: 384 pages

My Review: 

I had a feeling I was going to enjoy The House of Eve from the start--historical fiction is my jam. I had to keep reminding myself not to order it from my monthly book club subscription because I had signed up for the tour--especially hard when publishing got delayed for the very good reason that it was picked for Reese Witherspoon's book club and it started generating lots of buzz. It's great when a book gets a lot of hype, and ends up deserving it. Sadeqa Johnson has written a compelling story about strong young black women and the hardships and choices they faced in the 1950s. 

Teenage Ruby doesn't have an easy life, left to live with her aunt when her uncaring mother's boyfriend focuses his attention on her. She is studying hard to gain a scholarship and be the first one in her family to attend college when she meets a young Jewish boy and their hidden relationship results in pregnancy. Eleanor is attending Howard University when she meets William, studying to be a doctor and from one of the upper crust black families in Washington DC. They are in love, but his mother doesn't approve and isn't happy when pregnancy speeds up their marriage plans. Their stories are told in different ways, Ruby's in first person and Eleanor's in third person, which I wasn't sure was going to work, but it did. Both of their stories and how they dealt with their circumstances were engrossing and I found myself quickly caught up in their plights. 

The House of Eve is not a light read, but it's a good and ultimately hopeful one. I appreciated the author's afterword about how she came to write the novel and the lack of information compiled and published on unwed black women. She noted, "I'm drawn to writing historical fiction because I feel charged to tell the truth about American history, whether grim or happy." Sadeqa Johnson is a talent and her storytelling has me moving her novel, Yellow Wife, up to the top of my TBR pile.   

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Author Notes: Sadeqa Johnson is the award-winning author of four novels, including Yellow Wife. Her accolades include the National Book Club Award, the Phillis Wheatley Book Award, and the USA Best Book Award for Best Fiction. She is a Kimbilio Fellow, former board member of the James River Writers, and a Tall Poppy Writer. Originally from Philadelphia, she currently lives near Richmond, Virginia, with her husband and three children. To learn more, visit SadeqaJohnson.net.

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There were food mentions throughout the book such as scrapple, okra, and fried fish, tuna salad, chocolate-covered pretzels, ice cream and candy, chicken soup with matzoh balls, pastrami sandwiches, spaghetti, seafood salad, wilted spinach, cocktail shrimp, cheese and Ritz crackers, stew, avocado with vegetables, sweet tea, biscuits, crab cakes and sunny-side-up eggs, and poundcake, pies and baked goods.

When William is seeking forgiveness from Eleanor, he brings her a big piece of carrot cake from the bakery. It made me crave a good carrot cake, and so I decided to showcase these carrot cupcakes I made back in 2009. They lean to the healthy as they are from a spa cookbook, but they are delicious--the pineapple and applesauce make them very moist. 

Carrot-Pineapple Cake with Apricot Cream Frosting

Adapted from Cooking With the Seasons at Rancho La Puerta

(Makes one 8-inch cakes or 12 cupcakes)

The book says, "Most carrot cakes deliver healthy ingredients with loads of fat. In this very simple, moist cake, applesauce is substituted for the usual oil, and crushed pineapple adds moistness and flavor. The cake is delicious even without the creamy frosting--try serving it lightly dusted with powdered sugar, alongside a citrus salad or fresh pineapple."  

2 eggs

zest of 1 orange

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup applesauce

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 cups grated carrots

1 1/4 cups drained crushed pineapple in juice

1/2 cup shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened

Apricot Cream Frosting:

6 dried apricots, cut into 1/4-inch dice

4 oz Neufchatel or low-fat cream cheese

1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly brush an 8-inch pan with oil. 

Beat the eggs with the orange zest and sugar until thick. Stir in the applesauce and the vanilla. Sift the flours, baking powder, and baking soda into a large bowl. Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture, then fold in the carrots, pineapple, and coconut.

Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely.

To make the frosting, soak the apricots in hot water until they are very soft. Drain thoroughly. With a hand mixer, whip the Neufchatel until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the powdered sugar and the 1/4 tsp vanilla, fold in the apricots. Spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cooked cake, and cut into thin wedges to serve. 

Note: The cookbook suggests variations such as adding 1/2 cup golden raisins, soaked and drained to batter, sprinkling the chopped apricots over the cake instead of mixing them in the frosting, adding chopped pecans to the batter, or making it as a loaf cake or cupcakes.

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Note: A review copy of "The House of Eve" was provided to me by the author and the publisher via TLC Book Tours. I was not compensated for this review and as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own.  

You can see the stops for the rest of this TLC Book Tour and learn what other reviewers thought about the book below.

Book Review Tour Stops:

Friday, March 3rd: @bookmom22
Friday, March 3rd: IG: @mamabookwormreads  and TT: @mamabookwormreads 
Friday, March 3rd: @addictedtobooks86
Saturday, March 4th: @stephreadsalot on TikTok 
Monday, March 6th: @notinjersey – REVIEW
Monday, March 6th: @storytimewithshelbs on TikTok 
Wednesday, March 8th: @subakka.bookstuff – REVIEW
Wednesday, March 8th: @lindahamiltonwriter on TikTok – REVIEW
Thursday, March 9th: Run Wright and @karen_runwrightreads – REVIEW
Thursday, March 9th: @bookdragon217 – REVIEW
Friday, March 10th: 5 Minutes for Books – REVIEW
Friday, March 10th: Kahakai Kitchen – REVIEW
Monday, March 13 th: Helen’s Book Blog – REVIEW
Tuesday, March 14th: Books Cooks Looks – REVIEW
Wednesday, March 15th: @rachellelovesbooks – REVIEW

 

Lemon Mini-Cakes with Lemon Glaze & Baked Eggs with Shallots for #TheJaneAustenSocietyParty

Today is the publishing day or book birthday for the wonderful The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner and I am very happy to be joining in on the #TheJaneAustenSocietyParty -- a virtual gathering of some of my favorite bloggers and hosted by The Book Club Cookbook. (Here's all of the party details!)

We bloggers received an Advanced Readers Copy of the book and were tasked with reading the novel and coming up with a dish inspired by it. Because I couldn't decide between a sweet or savory dish, I made two, Lemon Mini-Cakes with Lemon Glaze and Baked Eggs with Shallots.

Let's start with the book. Here's the Publisher's Blurb:

Just after the Second World War, in the small English village of Chawton, an unusual but like-minded group of people band together to attempt something remarkable.

One hundred and fifty years ago, Chawton was the final home of Jane Austen, one of England's finest novelists. Now it's home to a few distant relatives and their diminishing estate. With the last bit of Austen's legacy threatened, a group of disparate individuals come together to preserve both Jane Austen's home and her legacy. These people―a laborer, a young widow, the local doctor, and a movie star, among others―could not be more different and yet they are united in their love for the works and words of Austen. As each of them endures their own quiet struggle with loss and trauma, some from the recent war, others from more distant tragedies, they rally together to create the Jane Austen Society.

A powerful and moving novel that explores the tragedies and triumphs of life, both large and small, and the universal humanity in us all, Natalie Jenner's The Jane Austen Society is destined to resonate with readers for years to come.

St. Martin's Press (May 26, 2020)

320 pages

If I had to pick one word to describe The Jane Austen Society, it would be charming. It's sweet, engaging and a loving tribute to my favorite author. Being a big historical fiction fan already, the setting in Chawton, Hampshire from 1932 to 1947 was a draw as well. Although the book starts in 1932 before WWII begins, most of it takes place in the aftermath of the war in 1945 and 1946. The war has left its impact on the small town and the five main characters of the novel. There is Adam, a farm laborer who gave up schooling when both brothers were killed in The Great War, Mimi, an American film star, Dr. Benjamin Gray,  the widowed town physician, Adeline, former teacher and young war widow who also lost her unborn child, Evie, a promising young student who must become a house servant when her father is injured in an accident, and Francis, wealthy descendant of the Austin family and a spinster shut off from much of society. What draws this group of dissimilar people together is a love of Jane Austen and they decide to form The Jane Austen Society to protect the final home of the author in Chawton.

I think if you are an Austen fan at any level, you can't help but like this book, and if you are not a fan or familiar with Austen's work, this book will make you want to be. You can feel the passion the author has for Austen radiate from every page and I love how each character describes how they came to love Jane Austen over the course of the book. And having read and reread (and in the case of Pride and Prejudice reread at least once a year) Austen's books I love how accurately Jenner describes why so many of us do:

"Part of the comfort they derived from rereading was the satisfaction of knowing there would be closure--of feeling, each time, an inexplicable anxiety over whether the main characters would find love and happiness, while all the while knowing, on some different parallel interior track, that it was all going to work out in the end. Of being one step ahead of the characters and one step behind Austen on every single reading."

I am currently rereading all of Austen's books for an online buddy read starting with Sense and Sensibility and covering a chapter a day, and I love the discussions we are having and hearing people's' impressions whether they have read a book twenty times or are reading it for the first time. Along with the books, we are reading adaptations and other Austen-related books and I am recommending this book to all of them. Lest I scare you away with my Janeite fanaticism, I feel like it's an enjoyable book regardless. There's romance and friendship, small town doings, history, and a general feeling of hope in the pages. It's a delight! My only complaint is that it ended too soon--much like I feel when I read Jane Austen's books, I wanted much more time with these characters.

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Let's talk food now... I actually thought there might be more food in the book than there was but there was food mentioned including crops of wheat and barley, toast and tea, champagne, a garden of courgettes, wax beans and beets to be pickled and preserved for winter, tea and sugar buns, apples and squash, oranges, a party with silver platters piled high with sugar plums and rum balls and warm mince pies, coffee and walnut cake and Victoria sponge filled with preserves, glazed lemon cake, tiny glasses of sherry and and a wedding breakfast. Enough food ideas to inspire me to make two different dishes.

Life is short so let's start with dessert first. I had a plethora of lemons at my house, was really craving lemon dessert and there was mention of glazed lemon cake in the book when some of the characters are discussing how they came to Jane Austen's work, and so I decided that Lemon Mini-Cakes with Lemon Glaze (doesn't that sound fancier than cupcakes?) would be a fairly easy endeavor even for a mostly non-baker. I found a few of easy lemon cupcake recipes online and went with the basics of them, making  few small modifications based on what I had on hand. 

Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Glaze 
Cobbled together from a few recipes
(Makes about 15 Cupcakes)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup melted butter (I used salted & omitted any additional salt)
1 1/3 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla paste
1/2 cup lemon juice (from about 1 1/2 lemons)
about 1 Tbsp lemon zest (from two lemons)
1/4 cup almond milk or milk of choice (what I had on hand) 
lemon glaze (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake tin with liners and set aside.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. In a large mixing bowl, add the melted butter and mix in sugar with a hand mixer for about 30 seconds, until mixture becomes thick and yellow. Add the eggs one at at time, beating after each addition and then beat in the vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Add the flour mixture and milk to the bowl, alternating between them--starting and ending with the flour. Be careful not too mix too long and overmix. 

Divide the batter among liners, filling each about 2/3 full (I used a scant standard ice cream scoop (disher) of batter). Bake for 12-16 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. (Mine took about 13 minutes.) Make sure to cool cakes completely before glazing them. 

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Lemon Glaze Icing 
Adapted Slightly from TheSpruceEats.com
(Makes About 1/2 Cup of Icing)

1 cup powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar) + more as needed
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsps freshly grated lemon zest
1 Tbsp milk (I used almond milk) + more if needed

In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and milk and stir until smooth. If glaze seems too thick, thin with additional milk, if it seems too thin, add more powdered sugar until it is the consistency you like. Spoon generously over completely cooled cupcakes.

Notes/Results: I think lemon is my favorite cake flavor and these are such tasty little cakes. Nothing fancy but tender and moist and a good match of sweet and tart, just like I like. I took a mini-cake out of the liner and plated it with some fresh blueberries to fancy it up a little bit for the photo. I could just eat the glaze out of the bowl with a spoon (OK, maybe I actually did!)  ;-) 

Part of the reason for me also making a savory dish was that Judy at The Book Club Cookbook sent a little surprise a few weeks ago in the form of two of their fabulous Book, Song & TV Seasoning Blends and I wanted to incorporate at least one of them into a dish. The two I received this time were Shallot's Web (Air-Dried Shallots) and Satay'in Alive (an Indonesian seasoning blend). I decided to use my shallots and make use of my previously gifted (you can see what else Austen-ish that I did with it here) bottle of Dried and Prejudice Seasoned Salt (a mix of sea salt, demerara sugar, paprika, garlic, onion, mustard, Mexican oregano, celery seed, black pepper and cinnamon) in an egg dish. Although there's not a mention of eggs in the book, there is a wedding breakfast and I thought some tasty baked eggs with toast (cut into thin "soldiers") for dipping would be great for a breakfast. So here we have Baked Eggs with Shallots that incorporated my blends.

Baked Eggs with Shallots
By Deb, Kahakai Kitchen
(Serves 1)

1/2 Tbsp air-dried shallots (I used and recommend Shallot's Web), reconstituted
butter for greasing ramekin
1/2 tsp sprig fresh thyme leaves
2 Tbsp white cheddar cheese
2 large eggs
1 sprinkle Dried and Prejudice Seasoned Salt or other favorite seasoning blend
freshly ground black pepper
To Serve: toasted bread cut into thin strips (soldiers)

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 375 degrees F. Put the dried shallots into a small bowl and pouring to-the-boil water over them and let sit about 3 minutes, until softened, then drain. 

Rub the inside of a ramekin with butter and sprinkle in rehydrated shallots, thyme leaves. and white cheddar cheese. Carefully crack eggs into the ramekin and sprinkle Dried and Prejudice Seasoning Blend and freshly ground black pepper on top of the eggs.

Carefully place ramekin in oven (using a small pan is helpful) and bake until the yolk is set to your liking (if you like runny yolks like me--about 12-14 minutes up to about 19-20 minutes for hard-cooked yolks.) Remove ramekin from the oven and serve immediately with toast soldiers. Enjoy!

Notes/Results: Whenever I make baked eggs I think "why don't I make baked eggs more often? " These were really good. I was surprised at how much flavor the shallots added and the Dried and Prejudice Seasoned Salt adds a touch of sweet and savory to the mix that worked well with the other ingredients. I'm not sure it needed the fresh thyme but I wanted a bit of color in there and I liked the flavors all together. Dipping the strips of buttered sourdough toast in, I was perfectly happy and content with my light breakfast for dinner. I will definitely make these eggs again. 

A big THANK YOU to St. Martin's Press (Instagram @stmartinspress), Natalie Jenner (Instagram @authornataliejenner / Twitter @nataliemjenner) and The Book Club Cookbook (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & Pinterest)

Don't forget to check out the party page here to see what my fellow bloggers came up with and how they liked the book!

I'm also sharing this post with the Weekend Cooking event that was held at Beth Fish Reads, but is now being hosted with Marg at The Adventures of An Intrepid Reader. It's a weekly event that is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share. You can see this week's post here.

Note: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of author Natalie Jenner, publisher St. Martin's Press and The Book Club Cookbook. I received a complimentary book and two seasoning blends for the purpose of a fair review, but all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. No additional compensation for this post was provided.

"Frost Yourself!" Sparkly Vanilla & Passion Fruit Jam-Filled Cupcakes for Food 'n Flix March: How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

I love a good sparkly chick flick and I really love How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, the Food 'n Flix selection for March. I don't own this movie, but it is one that I turn the channel to whenever I come across it on the television. Thus I have maybe watched the entire movie in a sitting only a couple of times but, I have seen the various bits and parts of it way too many times to count. 

 
Yes, it's silly and sappy, but it doesn't fail to make me smile. Kate Hudson, at her golden, sparkly best is Andie Anderson, the "How-To Girl" for Composure magazine, writing Cosmo-style articles on dating, fashion and other fluffy topics. Andie wants to be a serious journalist and write about more important things, but ends up assigned an article on How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days--using all the crazy dating mistakes women make that drive men away. Matthew McConaughey, all drawling cocky charm, is Benjamin Barry, an advertising executive who wants to handle more prestigious accounts than the sports and beer-related ones he has been getting. After a bet with his co-workers, Benjamin will get a chance to pitch a diamond campaign if he can make a woman fall in love with him before the company party in 10 days. Of course, the two end up dating each other under these false pretenses with Andie trying to figure out why Ben won't break up with her already and Ben trying to figure out why the cool girl he met keeps getting all psycho on him. Of course the usual rom-com antics ensue. 

The movie is predictable but fun. Andie's over the top antics like getting baby pictures from Ben's mom and making a scrapbook with wedding photo mock-ups and pictures morphing her and Ben to predict what their children will look like (pretty scary actually), getting them a little ugly/cute dog Krull and dressing them all up in matching Burberry plaid, and crying over their dead "love fern" ("Our love fern! You let it die!), etc. make me chuckle. Ben starts out as kind of a jerk in the beginning, but is quite likable by the end and it's entertaining to watch him squirm with Andie's bizarre behaviors.

Until our host for March, Tina of Squirrel Head Manor picked it, I never thought about How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days as a foodie movie, but surprisingly it does have a decent food presence--from Ben cooking his special lamb dinner and Andie pretending to be a vegetarian and singing "Mary Had a Little Lamb"--resulting in them ending up at a vegetarian restaurant the next date, to Andie exchanging all the typical poker party snacks at Ben's boys night with cucumber sandwiches and a veggie plate. 

When it came to picking a dish inspired by the movie, I went with sparkly frosted cupcakes in honor of the advertising tagline that Ben comes up with after Andie tells him diamonds are "frosting." So "Frost Yourself"--Vanilla Cupcakes filled with Passion Fruit Jam and frosted with Vanilla Buttercream and lots of bling. I went with white and gold sprinkles after the stunning golden diamond necklace Andie "frosts" herself with at Ben's company party. The green leafy background is my nod to Ben and Andie's "love fern"--looking much healthier than the poor fern in the movie ;-)

For my cupcakes: I used this recipe for Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcakes and Vanilla Buttercream found at Food Network. The recipe made a light cake, maybe slightly dry--but the jam filling helped. 

To fill the cupcakes, I cut small cones out of the center of the cooled cupcakes and removed the excess cake, filled the holes with a small spoonful of a locally-made lilikoi (passion fruit) jam, and put the top of the come back on the cupcake. (You could of course use any flavor jam but I was going for a golden color and the tangy flavor of the passion fruit cuts some of the sweet.) The amounts of sprinkles I used (on the cupcakes I photographed only) were a bit heavy handed for eating, but I wanted them as glitzy as possible. The frosting was sweet and creamy--next time I would make it a bit stiffer to hold the piping better. I'm not sure I would make this recipe again, I have had better vanilla cupcakes, but they were fun to play with. 

 
Thanks to Tina at Squirrel Head Manor for hosting this round of Food 'N Flix and making me look at an oft-watched film in a new way. Tina will be rounding up the entries on her blog soon. If you missed this round but love food, film and foodie films, join us for April's pick of Practical Magic, hosted at Can't Believe We Ate...
 

The Book Tour Stops Here: The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson with Little Warm Lavender Almond Cakes

We had some unusual weather for Hawaii several days last week. Heavy rains, multiple thunderstorms with lightening, hail... even a tornado not that far from where I live. It was perfect weather to tuck into a Gothic mystery novel like The Lantern, by Deborah Lawrenson. The Lantern is set in Provence, at Les Genévries, a old and crumbling three-story stone farmhouse hedged in rosemary and cypresses leading to fields of aromatic lavender. Les Genévries is the new home of Eve and Dom, who met in Switzerland and after a whirlwind courtship, are settling in to isolated country life and slowly renovating the house. Les Genévries was once the home of Bénédicte Lincel and her family and The Lantern weaves back and forth between Eve's present day story and Bénédicte's story going back to her childhood days.


The first summer in the house is full of hope and promise for Eve and Dom, but as the season starts to wane, Eve starts to feel a presence, like she is being watched. Dom is acting mysteriously too. Eve knows he was married before, but he refuses to discuss it and her need to find out more about his former wife Rachel, puts a strain on their relationship. When news of a series of local girls gone missing in the surrounding area moves closer to home, Eve begins to wonder what else Dom might be hiding from her and what happened to Rachel.


If I had to pick one word to describe The Lantern, it would be lush. It is a book for the senses. Author Lawrenson writes so descriptively that you feel the winds that sweep through the countryside, you see the crumbling stone and cracking plaster of the old house, you get a small shiver of awareness at a sudden sound or shadow, and you can smell the pungent floral scent of the lavender mixed in with the rosemary, mint, thyme and other herbs growing about Les Genévries. The Lantern is billed as being inspired by the Gothic classic Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, which I read many, many years ago and there are definite plot similarities, although the story has it's own twists and turns. The interwoven stories of Eve and Bénédicte reveal the story in small snippets, and I think overall it works well, but I did find Bénédicte's character and her tale more compelling. I didn't feel the romance, passion and connection between Dom and Eve as strongly, maybe because more emphasis is given to descriptions of the atmosphere of Les Genévries, than to developing these characters and their relationship. This is a curl-up-in-a-comfy-chair-on-a-stormy-night kind of story, and a lovely escape to the south of France. If you enjoy Provence, beautifully descriptive writing, Gothic tales and ghost stories, and/or have a sense of mystery, you will like this book.


Author Notes: Deborah Lawrenson grew up in Kuwait, China, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Singapore. She studied English at Cambridge University and has worked as a journalist for various publications in England, including the Daily Mail, the Mail on Sunday, and Woman’s Journal magazine. She lives in Kent, England, and she and her family spend as much time as possible at a crumbling hamlet in Provence, France, the setting for The Lantern.

Note: A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher through TLC Book Tours but I was not compensated for this review and as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own.

For a dish inspired by the novel, although there were plenty of wonderful sounding dishes, meals and ingredients throughout the book it was obvious from the cover alone that it had to be something involving lavender. Plus, lavender plays heavily in Bénédicte's story. I had a few recipes tagged to make, even a savory fish dish, but I decided to crack open The Herbal Kitchen: Cooking With Fragrance and Flavor by Jerry Traunfeld (a cookbook that I would also describe as lush and beautiful) and I was immediately drawn to the Warm Lavender Almond Cakes.

Jerry Traunfeld says, "These cakes are miraculous. You whiz everything up in a food processor, pop the batter into the refrigerator overnight, and then scoop into ramekins or muffin tins to bake. You'll be amazed. The warm slightly chewy cakes have a light crisp crust and a dense, moist interior suffused with the deep flavors of nuts, lavender, and honey, almost like a cross between a cake and a macaroon. Serve them in summer with lightly sweetened, softly whipped cream and fresh berries, or end a winter meal with the same cream and a fruit compote. Or simply cut them in quarters and serve them with coffee, tea, or a glass of sherry in any season."

Warm Lavender Almond Cakes
Recipe by The Herbal Kitchen by Jerry Traunfeld
(Makes 6-10 small cakes--depending on size of pan)

1 cup raw sliced almonds
4 teaspoons lavender buds (fresh or dried)
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
3/4 cup egg whites (about 6 large)
1/4 cup honey
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted & cooled
2 tablespoons softened butter, for prepping the molds

Note: Begin preparation at least 1 day before serving.
Put the almonds and lavender buds in a food processor and pulse until they are finely chopped. Add the powdered sugar and continue to process for 30 seconds. Add the flour and salt and process briefly. Pour in the egg whites and honey and process until combined. Add the melted butter and process for an additional 15 seconds. Scrape the batter into a plastic storage container, cover, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, or as much as a week.

To Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F.

Generously butter 10 (4 or 6 oz.) ovenproof ramekins or custard cups and place them on a baking sheet, or use a standard muffin tin. Divide the batter evenly among the cups. Bake until the cakes are evenly puffed and the tops crack and turn a deep walnut brown color, 30-40 min., depending on the molds and the temperature of the batter. Cool slightly and tip the cups out of their molds. Serve them while still warm, whole or cut into quarters.


Notes/Results: These are lovely little cakes. I always wonder if the lavender will be too strong in a recipes (I have had some lavender-infused dishes that were like eating potpourri--not a good thing), but in these cakes it comes across in a subtle way at first, getting a little stronger but not overpowering, towards the end. I used larger ramekins for these (about 6 oz.) and filled them 3/4 full, so I got six cakes from the batter. Instead of whipped cream, I used this whipped cashew cream, using up the leftover thick cashew cream from Sunday's soup, and garnished with some fresh organic blueberries. (I adapted the linked Tal Ronnen cashew whipped cream recipe slightly, by using honey as the sweetener and adding almond extract to enhance the flavors in the little cakes.) These cakes are like a French financier--chewy on the outside and soft with a nice crumb within. I will make these again.


Giveaway Update: In case you were stopping by to see who won the Joy the Baker Cookbook giveaway, I will be drawing the name and posting the announcement sometime tomorrow (Friday). Thanks for your patience! ;-)

I am sending my review of The Lantern and these pretty little cakes over to Novel Food, a literary-inspired cooking event hosted by my friend Simona at briciole. Simona will be rounding up an array of fabulous books and the food inspired by them after the deadline of March 18th, so be sure to check it out.

What are you reading and cooking?

Vegan Chocolate-Avocado Cupcakes with Vegan Chocolate Buttercream for the Joy the Baker Cookbook Spotlight and Cookoff

Chocolate cupcakes may seem redundant when we have already made brownies with chocolate buttercream and chamomile cupcakes for the Joy the Baker Cookbook Spotlight and Cookoff. Still, when I got to choose a recipe to make for Blogger's Choice Week of the challenge, this is the recipe I kept going back to. I have been wanting to finally try baking up a vegan chocolate and avocado pairing so Joy's Vegan Chocolate Avocado Cupcakes with Vegan Chocolate Buttercream seemed like the perfect opportunity.

These cupcakes turned out incredibly moist and delicious. Sadly, the frosting wasn't quite a win for me. It kept separating and seemed somewhat greasy and a bit grainy. I used the Earth Butter sticks and followed the recipe, then I tried adding more powdered sugar, refrigerating it and re-mixing, freezing it, etc. but it wasn't quite as buttery and fluffy as I would have liked and it doesn't look that pretty. Of course it also had to compete with my memories of Joy's incredible chocolate buttercream with Ovaltine in it that topped the brownies on week one, and I don't think it could have done that even if it had turned out perfectly. All in all, these cupcakes were still excellent and no one would guess they are vegan--always a plus.

Joy the Baker says, "This is the part of our baking journey that will make you raise your eyebrows at me. Yes, this fine chocolate cake has avocado in it. Avocados are so rich and creamy that I like to consider them the vegetable equivalent of butter. This vegan cake recipe uses both oil and avocado to create a moist, tender, and sturdy crumb. Combine the cake with vegan chocolate frosting, and you've got quite a treat. You won't have to tell a soul that there's avocado in the cake, unless of course, you want to brag. You can double this cake and frosting recipe to make one 2-layer 8-or9-inch cake."

Vegan Chocolate-Avocado Cupcakes w/ Vegan Chocolate Buttercream
The Joy the Baker Cookbook
(Makes 12-14 Cupcakes)

Cupcake Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup mashed ripe avocado (about half an avocado)
1 cup water
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

(I added 2 tsps espresso powder)

Cupcake Directions
Place rack in the upper third of the oven, and preheat oven to 350 F. Line a cupcake pan with foil or paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk sugar, oil, avocado, water, vinegar, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture to the avocado mixture and fold with a spatula until well combined. The batter will be so loose that you can pour it into a measuring cup to dispense into the cupcake molds. Fill each cupcake liner until it’s about two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Let cakes cool for 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.


Frosting Ingredients
3/4 cup Earth Balance butter (or any vegan butter in sticks), at room temperature
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 to 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 to 2 Tbsp soy milk

Frosting Directions
Place butter in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat the butter on medium speed until soft and pliable. Stop the mixer, scrape the sides of the bowl, and add the cocoa and sugar. Turn mixer on low to slowly incorporate. Add the vanilla and soy milk. Increase the mixer speed to medium or medium high and beat until frosting is soft and fluffy.

Spread onto cupcakes with a butter knife and decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Frosted cupcakes can last in fridge for up to 4 days.


Notes/Results: I think I said it all above--the very moist and delicious cakes get a thumbs up and will definitely get made again. The avocado disappears completely when you bake them and I love how it replaces most of the oil and egg with healthy fats. I did add some espresso powder to the cupcakes--just for a little depth of flavor, and I topped them with chocolate-covered coffee beans. I'll probably try the frosting again--maybe it was just a bad frosting karma day. And, I promise that I will be making one more recipe from the book for my final review next week that isn't a cake or brownie. ;-)

*This post is part of the Joy the Baker Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off sponsored by Hyperion and hosted at girlichef*